Butterfly Effect
by Jesus Power
Summary: One small change could mean massive outcomes. Naruto lets his anger get the best of him and he needs help. Can a little friend help him? Some OOC. Mature content because of swearing, might change in the future. It's better than this lame summary. Really.
1. Simple changes

BUTTERFLY EFFECT

It had been a few weeks since team seven had first formed. They had been following several D-rank missions, all of which Naruto hated. They all hated the missions, as they were simple and sometimes quite stupid, but Naruto took it personally. He thought that the Hokage wouldn't let them have any higher ranking missions because they might get hurt or something. He had little outbursts of anger, sometimes ending with Naruto punching something to get rid of the access hate.

The rest of team seven, however, saw it as a deeper hatred lurking, waiting under the surface to burst out and hurt them all. Kakashi especially. So he went to talk to the Hokage the same day that they got their first (team) C-rank mission to the Wave country.

"Hokage-sama" Kakashi bowed quickly, not trying to show any disrespect. He needed to keep this short. "I request that favor now, please."

Sarutobi lit his pipe and took a deep lungful. "Ah yes. Kakashi. I had a feeling you were going to cash in that favor soon…..alright, what would you like?"

Kakashi nodded and smiled under his mask. It was short lived, however. "Well, you see, Naruto has been acting a little funny lately. He seems to be in constant battle with…he's at war inside of himself."

The Hokage behind the desk nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I have noticed. He has been quite….loud. He has voiced his opinion very rudely to me today, and while I understand where he is coming from, a polite question would have done just as well…"

The masked jonin nodded again. "Yes, yes. I would like to figure out what I can do to help that anger go away…..it could be dangerous."

Both looked off into space, remembering that fateful day. They visibly shuddered and snapped back to the present. "Oh yes. Right. Well, there is one thing…."

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When Kakashi showed up, a little late, to where the team was meeting to leave, he had another ninja with him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, while Sakura smiled and bent down to pet her. Naruto was too off the walls to notice. "Awww, she's cute!"

The little white fluff ball puffed up and shook her head. The collar around her neck jingled around a bit, showing the pink-haired girl that it was a forehead protector. She blinked a few times, then pet the fox's head and stood back up. "Kakashi-sensei?" she asked tentatively.

"Mm, yes?"

"Why is there a white fox with a ninja status here?"

"This is to be our 'fourth member' of team seven"

"Is she capable of what we can do?"

Kakashi smiled, his one eye showing closed momentarily. "And more."

Naruto bounded over, finally ready to leave. "Okay, let's go!" He suddenly noticed the white ball of fur. "Aw, she's cute. Is she yours, Kaka-sensei?"

Tazuna, the bridge builder they were escorting, and Sasuke had already started walking. Kakashi looked over to Naruto and started walking as well. "Come on." Was the only thing he said.

Sakura shook her head in confusion and ran to catch up to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, wait for me!"

Naruto shook his head in anger. She was always after the teme, the one who hated her as much as she hated Naruto. He started walking slowly behind the group, his excitement vanishing due to frustration.

The little vulpine noticed and trotted to catch up. She was very tiny, maybe the size of a growing kitten. She let out a little sound and Naruto looked back at her. She was trying her best not to get left behind, but they were moving too fast for her to keep up. Making a quick decision, Naruto dropped close to the ground, scooped her up, and jogged a bit to reach a few meters away from their party of four.

When Naruto picked the tiny fox off the ground, he had started feeling peace settle within himself. He didn't know how or why, but his body relaxed and he forgot about his small troubles. One hand held the kit next to his chest while the other ran along her body, stroking her from head to tail. She made a small sound that could be called a purr.

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"Kakashi-sensei, I was wondering"

The group groaned. This was the first time he had talked so far, but it was still annoying to them. "Yes, Naruto?"

"What's her name?"

"Hm?"

"The little fox. She needs a name." He gestured to his arms, where said animal was resting. She had curled up in his touch, and she was keeping the peace inside him constant. That was why he had been so quiet at first. But now…

"Well, you're the one she bonded with. You pick."

Naruto looked shocked. "Bonded with?"

Kakashi nodded. "Ninja animals pick a person they believe will do their best to survive and work hard no matter what. They also pick a person who needs their help the most, along with a lifetime promise of loyalty. She's picked you, Naruto, believe it or not."

Sasuke looked down at the ground, not saying a word. Could Kakashi be right? Would Naruto try to survive better than him? Would he not even attempt to save his life, even though his goal required him to? He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. He didn't care about a little scrap of a mutt. He only needed himself.

Naruto thought about a name, and while he was doing so the little fox woke up. She stretched in his arms and opened her jaws to yawn. It was the most adorable thing they had seen. She shook out her fur and jumped down to the ground, easily keeping pace with Naruto now. He smiled down at her, then realized something.

"Hey, you could have walked before! I didn't need to carry you!" he said, speaking to her. Her innocent eyes peered back at him, her two tails wagging. He blinked at the sudden change. When he had picked her up before, she only had one tail. Now she had two. He shook his head. It didn't matter.

"Alright. A name..a name…" he looked around, trying to draw inspiration from the land. Nothing came to mind…

"…Hana"

A pair of pure white ears pricked up at the sound. Sasuke was holding her now, cradling her in his arms as they walked. She had heard the name and looked at him curiously now. Naruto glared at Sasuke, but then he broke out in a smile.

"Yeah! That's a good name! Thanks, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke shrugged and started petting Hana's head lightly. She rubbed into the touch, purring slightly. It was odd, since she was a fox and not a cat.

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Hana suddenly jumped out of the raven's arms and next to a small puddle. She sniffed curiously at it, then leaped back, fur raised and lips curled back. Her tails swished angrily behind her, and she kept her eyes focused on the puddle. Two of the male ninjas noted that there was no rain, and in the middle of the road….

Seconds later two enemy ninja swung chains around and captured the jonin. He vanished, being pulled apart. Blood splattered everywhere, falling to the ground unnoticed. The two ninja grinned and turned to the others. "You're turn."

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Naruto freaked out. He couldn't move. This was what you're waiting for! His body screamed at him. But he couldn't do anything. He just stood there. One of the ninja swung his arm around at him, chain coming at him like a whip. He stood frozen to the ground.

Then there was a white flash, and a growling sound was heard. A loud yip and Hana was torn off of the ninja's face, thrown to the ground in rage. She let out a strangled sound that made Naruto's heart shatter. He felt his anger level grow, but before he could do anything, before the other enemy had time to attack again, something happened.

The air around the fallen kit had whipped up into a mini tornado, about as tall as Naruto. It swirled with white and blue, and then it was gone. In it's place was a full grown fox, even bigger now than most foxes. It stood at three feet tall on all fours, and she rushed forwards. Her claws were larger, more enhanced. A thin blue wisp of chakra surrounded her, and she snarled as she shot at the two ninja. Naruto just stared. He didn't know how Hana did that. It just…did.

In a few seconds both idiot chain-wearers were slumped on the ground, surrounded by a small pool of blood. They were alive, but unconscious. Sakura and Sasuke had surrounded Tazuna, and he looked shocked. Kakashi came out of nowhere and nodded to them, getting out some ninja wire and tying the two to a tree.

"You did well" he said simply. They realized he had used a teleportation Jutsu to make them believe he was dead so that he could see who they were after.

Naruto looked over to Hana, who was on the ground again, panting. She had three tails now, but had shrunken down to the size of a small dog. She looked up at him, a smile playing on her face. It screamed 'guardian'. She tilted her head at him, her foxy grin fading a bit under his consistent gaze.

She made a little barking noise. Naruto snapped out of it. "What just happened?"


	2. Hana's Speech

It didn't take long to realize that Hana was no ordinary fox. She wagged all three of her pure white tails and let her tongue sprawl out like a dogs' would. She pricked her ears at their conversation as they walked along, more alert than before.

"So she can transform, and her chakra is incredible. What do you think that's from? How old is she?"

Kakashi tried his best to answer, as he really didn't know much. The Hokage didn't let him in on many secrets. "I don't know. And I think she's only a few months old…not sure though. Her main size should tell us.."

Naruto put his hands behind his head as they walked. "I dunno. Hey Hana, can you understand us?"

Hana let out a single little bark. Sakura giggled at how cute it sounded and Hana's pink tongue hung out of her mouth again, a slight grin on her face.

"Okay…so one bark for yes, and two for no. Yes or no questions."

Again Hana let out a single bark. She let her tails wag happily. They could finally communicate! The little group thought of the questions they wanted her to answer first.

"Is your name really Hana?" Sasuke was the first to ask something else. Hana tilted her head. She let out a whine. She didn't know how to tell him her answer. She didn't have a name before anyways, so Hana was given to her by them, so it was…

Hana let out a soft bark and looked to Naruto. "Okay Hana, how about…..how old you are. Are you a year old?"

Hana rolled her eyes at him but gave two short barks. She knew they would never get there. "Okay, one bark for higher and two for lower. Two years?"

Hana let her head droop. He was nowhere near close. She let out a single bark. Kakashi seemed to pick up on this and put a finger to his covered chin.

"My turn. Are you older than ten years?" A single bark for yes. "Twenty years?" Another yes. "Fifty?" Still the same answer. "One-hundred?" Hana nodded her head and barked at the same time. She got impatient and sat down, effectively halting their progress. They stared at her and she stuck out a dainty paw.

"Do you want me to take your paw?" Naruto asked, confused. He wasn't sure what she was trying to play at. It was getting annoying. No fox could be older than a hundred!

He took her paw in his hand anyways, and right away her eyes glowed a sharper blue. His echoed that same color, and his mind was overwhelmed with her thoughts. She seemed to have thousands of memories deep inside her mind, despite being so little. The knowledge was staggering.

Then suddenly it was over and a single thought was in his head. It looked like it was written down in his head, ink on paper. Slowly it formed a word. _Hello._

Naruto didn't know why, but he was still peaceful. He didn't seem to care that they weren't supposed to be communicating like this. _Hey there._ He said back.

_"I'm Hana. Yes, you did give me my name. It is nice to finally have a name after all these years. I do not want to alarm you with my age, as I am as old as time, but let me tell you that I am a demon spirit. I am not actually evil, though. I am the single spirit that is a healer. I am here to heal and repair your damaged soul. My…mate, the Kyuubi, is sealed inside of you. I'm afraid he's the anger that you've been feeling. But I'll talk more about that later. Right now, all you need to know is that I'm your guardian. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. And if that means protecting your loved ones, then so e it I'll help them too. Please, if at any time you wish to have me speak to you, just hold one of my tails while we walk. They are our contact for now. I don't want the others worrying about you now, so farewell…"_

Her speech grew faint as it faded away. When he looked around, blinking, he noticed the others staring at him oddly. "Uh.."

"What did you learn?" Kakashi was all business. He did want to know. He was curious. The others nodded their support. They wanted to know too. Even Tazuna.

"Well" he began slowly. "She's very special, and…" she wagged her tails and started to trot along, keeping the pace so they would get to Tazuna's village faster. "And she's a spirit. Technically the Kyuubi's mate."

Naruto had to force the last part out. It made it seem like she was there just because of the Kyuubi inside of him. He winced at the sudden contact on his palm before realizing it was just Hana.

A few wide eyes. The white vulpine tilted her head at them, looking cute for their amusement. Hana let her nose press into Naruto's palm, and thousands of scents flooded into his nose, now sensitive to everything around them. He figured this was how Hana smelt things, and he also picked up that she knew people due to their chakra signature. It actually had a smell.

"Hana, what kind of smell does my chakra have?" he asked when she finally pulled back her nose. She blinked and looked down. He could have sworn he saw some red peeking through her fur, but he let it go. For now.

Again the group was silent. It was slow progress. Hana kept brushing her tails against one of the three Genin, sending them her thoughts.

And that's how they were found two hours later, ambushed by none other than Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist.


	3. The Fight

Hana started growling about a hundred meters from a lake. They could see the edge of it, but she whipped in front of them, pushing them back a bit. She was steadily growing, not fast but quick enough.

The second they had heard her growl they had gotten into their defensive position. The three Genin got into a triangle around Tazuna, while Naruto silently handed the man a kunai. He accepted it with trembling fingers.

Hana brushed her tail against Kakashi's hand, and he tensed, not expecting her to talk with him. _It's a very strong chakra scent. You might need to get your eye ready_, she cautioned.

Kakashi blinked and looked down at her in surprise. He didn't ever tell anyone about the sharingan anymore. They either knew or didn't know. He shrugged and looked up. He lifted his headband with one hand while grabbing a kunai with his right. He let his eye fall open, three tomoe spinning in his red eye.

Sasuke saw this gesture and gulped. A slight mist was snaking in. Suddenly a giant cleaver spun through the air, heading for them. Kakashi spun around. "DUCK!" he yelled.

They all ducked just in time. The giant sword hit a tree with a thunk, embedding itself deep into the wood. Hana growled again as the fog started creeping in even more. The ground was covered in it. A man suddenly appeared on top of the sword, standing there like he was just walking through.

"Ah, Kakashi. I've heard of you and your special eye" he sneered. "But it won't be enough to beat me,-"

"The Demon of the Mist" Kakashi monotoned. "Yeah yeah. Just leave. This is not your fight"

Zabuza growled in annoyance. "Do you always spoil your enemy's introduction? No matter. This is where you die!" The mist that was gathering was quick to make more of itself.

In seconds flat they could see only two feet in front of them. Hana flicked all her tails and she glowed blue, this time with more chakra than before. It cut through the fog, showing Naruto and Sasuke where she was. Naruto focused on anything coming at them so it wouldn't hurt the man they were trying to protect.

Meanwhile Sasuke was panicking. They were going to die here. If Kakashi was tense, that meant that he was scared that he couldn't handle the ninja. And that meant that he wasn't going to be able to fulfill both of his goals. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking.

Kakashi noticed this. "Sasuke."

Said boy was startled out of his thoughts. He didn't have any time to voice anything. Kakashi went on. "Don't worry. I'll protect you guys even if it kills me."

The masked ninja turned around a little to show that he was smiling underneath his mask, his normal eye curved up. "I don't let my comrades die."

Sasuke found he was holding his kunai too close to his other hand and let out a small sigh. He nodded slightly. He could trust Kakashi. He just knew it. He wouldn't let him die. He almost jumped at the next noise he heard.

A mocking voice came out of the mist. "Eight choices…Liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, neck vein, brain. Which one should I go after?"

Naruto almost left the formation when Hana sprinted forwards, out of sight. She let out a growl and almost suddenly the mist disappeared, leaving the five of them bewildered. They took in the sight slowly, as the sun was bright without mist.

Hana was hanging onto Zabuza'a arm. He cursed a few times, mentally hitting himself for not dodging fast enough. He didn't even sense her coming. He used his other arm to swing his sword at her, trying to dislodge the pesky animal.

But Hana hung on, just enforcing her chakra shield to keep the offending metal away. His eyes went wide and he flung his weapon at another tree, satisfied easily by the thunk in the bark. He used his now free hand to make a hand sign.

His chakra was depleted somehow, though, he noticed after he shifted back to his sword. He grasped the handle with one hand and pulled heartily. He cursed himself silently again when his mind started slowing down from lack of blood. He made another hand sign and did a quick healing jutsu on himself. It wasn't the best, but it would ensure he could still finish the job.

Hana growled as she fell to the lake's surface. She landed lightly, balancing on her toes to keep ready to dodge. She raised her muzzle to the air and sniffed in. Zabuza was close. He was still bleeding, but not as heavily. She flicked a tail and showed a foxy grin when it whipped around her angrily.

Soon she was ready, and Zabuza was back. He narrowed his eyes at her and started to charge. She let out a yawn and jumped above him, flicking her tails hard into his face. It splashed down into the water. Water-clone.

By now Kakashi was on the water as well, using himself as bait. He knew that one jonin and one demon could easily defeat the now wounded missing-nin. It would just take some time.

The real Zabuza finally made his entrance again and he smirked at Kakashi. "You need to help the little fox? Aw, how cute." He made a gagging noise. "And I hate cute."

He was behind Kakashi in an instant, ready to cleave him in half. Hana just stood there, on top of the water, as the Kakashi Zabuza killed sank into the water as well. Again Zabuza cursed. Kakashi was behind him now, and he held a kunai to his neck. "Got you"

Zabuza fought dirty and kicked him from his spot. Kakashi flew back, nothing available to aid his flight. He couldn't hold onto anything, so when he landed on the other side of the lake, he had to start running so he could get to the missing-nin.

Meanwhile Hana had not moved. She did raise a paw, however. She poked it forward and the water that was hanging there followed her will, shooting forward to slap the Demon of the Mist on the leg. It stung like hell.

Zabuza sighed and turned around. The water was dancing restlessly around the white and blue fox, and her tails whipped it up even more at his movement. He blinked as a huge dragon shape made of water came barreling down towards him. He frantically made the signs for the same thing and it swam up slowly, crashing with the offending one.

Then he was hit as Kakashi had made one as well, using his eye to copy the signs the other man had made. Hana let out a little yip and starting running to the side of the lake that the Genin's weren't on. She ran up the side of a tree, growling as she did.

Zabuza landed near that same tree. Kakashi ran over, ready to kill him. He was working up the chakra needed for a chidori when two senbons came from the tree. He blinked and looked up.

A masked ninja jumped down from the tree. They nodded curtly at Kakashi. "Thank you" a voice said. "I had been going after him for awhile." He picked up the man with ease. He felt for a pulse and confirmed the death. "Yes. He is dead. Thank you for weakening him."

Kakashi nodded and his eyes zeroed in on the location of the senbons. Right where they would bring death. He smiled, satisfied. "You're welcome." The fully masked ninja nodded and made a one-handed sign and disappeared.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at this, but let out a sigh and fell over. Damn. He'd used too much chakra with the eye. He let it fall closed and let out a yell. "Hey! I need help!"

He hated admitting to a weakness, but hey. He did. Hana let out a little whine and bit into his collar. She dragged him into a sitting position and then made sure he could lean on her while they waited. Her blue chakra coat was gone, and she was pure white again. Although she was covered in mud, dripping water on the forest floor, and blood covered her muzzle.

"Thanks" he managed. He fell asleep after seeing the team plus Tazuna running to meet him.


	4. Sakura's Still the Smartest

Hana stretched out comfortably between Naruto and Sasuke. They were both petting her, with her about the size of a large wolf. She rather liked being that size, and after the battle they went to Tazuna's house and got cleaned up. She got bathed by all three of the genin so they could finish faster.

Kakashi had been carried to the house by Hana, but she hadn't been tired. She was, after all, a chakra monster. She had unlimited chakra and that kept her energy levels high.

Naruto was petting down the length of her fluffy fur while Sasuke scratched between her ears. It was calming to be around her when she was calm, and it even reached Sasuke.

Sakura was watching over Kakashi in the corner, not wanting to watch Sasuke fawn over some girl, even though it was an animal. She was about to pull of his mask when he woke up.

Sakura jumped back with a start and blushed a bit. She smiled sweetly and laced her voice with concern. "How are you, sensei?"

He let out a groan and reached a hand to his head. "I always forget how drained I am when I use the sharingan like that…."

Sasuke looked over at him sharply before Hana nosed his hand, wondering why he stopped. He calmed down instantly but asked his question with cool anger. "You mentioned that twice, and used it before. Are you an Uchiha?"

Naruto tilted his head and closed his eyes at that. He poked a finger at his chin and looked thoughtful. "Why would he be an Uchiha, Sasuke? Didn't Itach-"

"Shut up, baka!" Sakura hit Naruto over the head, effectively shutting him up. Sasuke didn't look like he was paying attention to the blond haired dobe, though.

Kakashi sat up with some difficulty. "Well, ah, you see…" he sighed. "It's a long story. But no, I'm not. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

Sasuke was sort of disappointed but didn't show it. He continued his scratching of Hana's head, much to her delight. She even rolled over so that Naruto could rub her belly. She was a sucker for a belly rub. Even as a ninja-demon-thing.

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Dinner came and went. No disruptions until the very end.

"Why do you even try?" he asked. Naruto blinked and asked what he meant. Inari glared at him after hearing his response. "Hero's are a lie! They aren't real! You'll never be a hero!" he had his head down because he had tears going down his face.

Naruto stood up and pointed his chopsticks at the crying boy. "Oi! Shut up, you snot-nosed brat! I'm gonna be the Hokage someday, and you're going to regret those words!"

Inari ran from the room and Tazuna sighed. (He proceeds to tell them the same story about the kid's 'dad.")

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Morning rose early, and Kakashi brought them to a secluded area in the forest. He had crutches and Hana had healed him a bit, but he was still tired. He proceeded to teach them something new.

"We are going to learn tree-climbing!" he let his eye close as he smiled. He didn't see the three scowls on three faces. Hana just looked bored.

"Kaka-sensei, how is that going to help us?" Sakura asked.

"Well, let me show you. Here." He walked over to a thick tree and stepped onto it with one foot, then the other. He made it fairly far up the trunk, then turned upsidedown on a limb.

"Use your chakra to stick to the tree. You have to learn control, and this is a good way to do it. I suggest you use these to mark your places." He threw three kunai down at the kids.

"Oh, and take running starts, since you can't walk up just yet. You'd need perfect focus for that."

Kakashi was suddenly on the ground again, watching as Sasuke picked up his kunai, tensed, then ran at a tree. He made one foot onto the bark before it broke inwards, smashing through because of his chakra force. He lept back and stared at it. Too much chakra makes the bark cave in, and too little and you don't stick to the tree. He realized. He watched as Naruto slammed into the tree, falling down in the process.

He gave a small grin as he started up the tree again, making it a bit farther before having to jump backwards, repelling himself with a kick. Suddenly a kunai flew down and hit the ground with a heavy thud. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto all looked up to see Sakura in a tree, pretty high up. She was sticking out her tongue with a smile and holding onto the tree trunk to stay on balance.

Kakashi let out a short laugh. "Ma, Sakura, you have excellent focus and control. You can watch Tazuna today for being so good with this. Keep going, Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto, you're looking behind."

Sakura left with their sensei and Sasuke and Naruto kept up their rivalry. They made it higher and higher, not making much visible progress. But Sasuke was quickly learning that the tree stayed the same, so once you had a perfect idea of the control, you just had to keep it steady. He made it farther up, and he applied that each time he made a new notch.

Naruto, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what was going on. He had to copy Sasuke, because he didn't know what else to do. He frowned at the other boy's progress and worked at it harder, determined to not be a failure.

Hana watched this all with interest. She already knew how to do such a low-level skill, and could have helped them easily.

But nah, they didn't ask.

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NOTE

Sorry this chapter sucks. I was tired and didn't feel like writing much. (as you can see in the middle with Inari and that story. Dx SORRY YOU CAN LOOK IT UP IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT ;;;

Sorry that the fight scene beforehand sucked too, I needed to show how strong Hana is but I think I messed it up. I think I'm going to go back and edit that later. I need Zabuza attacking more than like. Twice. .;;

PLEASE ENJOY.

PLEASE REVIEW.

PLEASE TELL OTHERS.

YOU'LL GET A COOKIE.

FOR EACH THING YOU DO.

THANKS.

I'll try to do better on the next chapter. ^^;;


	5. Kakashi Receives a Present

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Hana stretched and walked around a bit, her muscles stiff from watching the two rivals go at it for some time now. They had made quite a bit of progress, though, making it a little over halfway up the trees before taking a short break for water. Hana smiled a foxy smile when Naruto fell behind Sasuke's attempts and redoubled his effort. No one could say he didn't try.

After settling down again she noticed something in the tree above her. She glanced at the two ninja still working hard to beat each other and then up in the tree again. She backed up and ran up the side of the trunk, applying chakra to her light paws. She didn't bother just walking, as she wanted to get up quickly.

Hana crept forward on the limb and held around it with her paws. She started shrinking down in size, and by the time she was at the bird's nest she was she size of a baby kitten. Or fox kit. She tilted her head and examined the bird that was glaring at her. She didn't more, save for the fall and rise of her chest as she breathed, and soon enough the black crow was back to staring at Sasuke with beady eyes.

The white fox blinked rapidly. Where did she know that look? She thought of a few people who liked to use ravens in battle…She nearly fell off the branch. She held on and bared her teeth at the dark feathered bird, growling loudly. Her pelt fluffed up and made her look twice her size.

The black bird slowly turned back to her. Its eyes were not the normal black color. They were red, and they were slowly spinning in their sockets. She closed her eyes so that she didn't get hypnotized and sniffed the air. She knew that it wasn't good if Itachi was already checking up on his brother. It meant he would expect him to somehow battle him soon. And Hana knew that Sasuke was nowhere near ready to kill his brother.

She made sure she locked onto the scent of the bird before jumping. She had her claws outstretched and she went quickly. It's loud cawing alerted the rest of the forest of what she was doing. The noise drowned out the cawing of this particular raven, and it started to fly off, knowing it wouldn't be good to die. She opened her eyes and launched herself at it again, smelling the blood and fear scent rolling off its feathers in large waves.

She grew in size faster now, lending more chakra to her growth. It was slightly painful, but it was worth it when she caught it in-between her claws, sinking her teeth into it's neck.

She panted hard and went back to where Sasuke and Naruto had been training. Both of them were on the ground, still standing, staring at her like she was crazy. She had the bird in her mouth and she gingerly set it down in front of her, sitting down and wrapping her tails around her innocently. She gave them a cute look.

Naruto shook his head at her and gave her head a quick pat before turning back to the trees. Sasuke smiled at her, the slight curve of his lips lighting up his entire face. She almost lost her amused look. He really had been so deep within himself that even the tiniest smile made him look ten times brighter. She nodded at him and, after he gave her a pat as well, picked up the bird again and left. She figured that he would go back to training as well.

She started running as soon as she was out of sight from the human males. She switched to a sprint once she spotted the house that they were staying in. She ran up the side of the house and into an open window. They kept it slightly open so she could get into their team room.

Kakashi was resting, but when he heard her drop lightly to the wooden floor he sat up. A puzzled look rested on his face. She went over to his bed and dropped it into his outstretched hand. Her face was strangely solemn as she sat and curled her tails around her fluffy body, watching him carefully.

He still looked confused, because he didn't say anything. He just stared at the now dead animal. He looked back at her and tilted his head. She let a small grin slide; he was quite cute for a human when he didn't have his mask on. She let a tail stray from her body and touch his skin. Her memories of that moment flooded into his mind and he slid forward a bit, startled.

He nodded at her in thanks and she got up slowly, again stretching her sore muscles. She had shifted her form very quickly in too short of a time. She shoved some chakra into them and instantly felt better. She let out a soft yip to Kakashi-sensei and ran out the window, sailing down to the ground with all four paws aimed at the ground. She rolled and ran towards the forest, stopping only a moment to check something else out.

The boy named Inari was sitting against a tree, holding a picture in his hand. Tears were going down his face, and she couldn't help but feel bad. She was only there for Naruto and his friends, and the previous night he had called the younger boy names, but…she shook her head. That didn't count. He was only angry at the boy for not having courage to do what's right.

She crouched low to the ground and crept up to him. By the time he noticed she was present, her head was pressed into his hand and he was rubbing her soft fur. He smiled a little and she slipped around behind him, letting him lean against her like a pillow. She licked the side of his face and he laughed, petting her fur with one hand absently. She waited for him to fall asleep.

Hana didn't want to wake him, so she made a shadow clone and let it go off to watch Naruto and Sasuke train. If they got too overworked she wanted to be there to take them back home.

_________________________________________________________________

NOTE

So because chapter four SUCKED I wrote this. Chapter five is my favorite chapter so far. I like writing detail chapters.

Not much actually went on in this chapter, but it helped us with the character of Hana (and maybe some of the plot, too!)

I hope you like it, even though it's short! Tell me if you didn't understand part of it.

Also, the reason I didn't have any dialog was because I think that at least one part of a story (fanfic or not) there should be a chapter where no on is talking.

It gets in the way and clutters the story up. = P

Anyways, I hope you like it! 3


	6. Friendship

Kakashi watched as Hana left out the window. He kept staring long after she was gone. Then he snapped out of it as Inari's mother dropped a pan on the floor. He glanced down at the bird she brought him. Her thoughts on the bird were crazy, but probably true. It had been a spy for Itachi.

---

Naruto laid on the ground, breathing hard. He was out of breath from trying to make it up the tree. He opened his eyes when a shadow passed over him. Hana's breath was blowing his hair down over his face and he smiled and sat up. He rubbed her head and allowed her to curl up on his lap. "Hey, Hana." He spoke softly.

Naruto smiled at her again as she made a purring sound. She yawned and closed her eyes, gently placing a tail on his arm as she did so.

Sasuke watched as Naruto closed his eyes, probably speaking with Hana. He snorted softly and looked back at the trees. His was full of kunai marks, same as Naruto's, but he had gone a little bit farther up.

Then the blond opened his eyes and looked down at Hana. He looked up at the tree, face contorted into a thinking look. He slid Hana off his lap, and she squeaked indignantly. She huffed and wandered over to Sasuke. Sasuke leaned down to pat her, but she backed up a bit, just out of reach.

Sasuke frowned but then nodded and sat down when she did so, allowing her to sit on top of his lap. He sat cross-legged, and she settled down like she did with Naruto. She closed her eyes and let one of her tails rest on his arm. He was transported back to where he had gone before, and empty room with a slate in front of him. He watched as words wrote themselves on it.

_Hello, Sasuke. It's good to see you again. Would you like some assistance with this exercise? _

The raven nodded and he could tell she was smiling. He watched as she wrote some more, an invisible force doing so.

_I taught Naruto the same thing. However, since you pick up on things more quickly, I expect you to help him afterwords. If not, I won't teach you this._

The last Uchiha hesitated. Why would he help the dobe? He supposed the fox had a point, though. He was a prodigy. And the blond idiot was his friend. Maybe he could help him get enough power to get close enough to his brother to….yes. He would start helping Naruto with his training. Maybe by doing so, he would be able to learn more himself.

_You have made your decision, then? Good. I will help you, so listen well._

---

When Sasuke opened his eyes he saw Naruto looking at both of the trees. Almost the same exact position he had been in before. He glanced down at Hana and smiled. She had taught him exceptionally well. He had thanked her right before she sent him back to his body.

Sasuke carefully lifted the slumbering fox off of him, gently placing her on the ground. She didn't wake up, but a smile and purr emerged instead of a growl. He quickly put his calm mask back up and stood.

"Dobe."

"Teme."

Sasuke recalled what she told them and ran at the tree. _Focus on only centering your chakra and the tree. You are the only things right now. _He kept running, flipping out a kunai from his pouch and getting it ready. _Let yourself feel your chakra as if you were holding it in your hand. _He was a few feet away now. _Sense your surroundings, taking in everything. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. _He hit the tree and ran up. He took all her words and teachings into account and managed to make it a couple of feet from the top.

When he flipped down, he finally let other things in. He had _felt _how much chakra he had needed to stay properly on the tree. The letting nature in helped. Sasuke shook his head and looked over to Naruto. He had made a mark close to the top, too. Sasuke grinned and went again, this time making it to the very top. He clung to the little twig of a limb and was somewhat startled to find that he could see for miles up here.

Naruto, on the other hand, was still frustrated. Sasuke had beat him, and it was his fault. He ran at the tree for a third time since Hana had helped him, and he cleared his mind of all thoughts. He made it to the same point, but not all the way up like the raven. He growled when he dropped to the ground again. He wasn't good enough.

But he would be work at it if it was the last thing he ever did.

--

The real Hana was still with Inari. She didn't want to move him, since he was clearly exhausted. Who knows why, but he was. She somehow withheld a growl from her stomach. Great, now she was hungry.

She sent off another clone to hunt. She closed her eyes and became one with nature. If anything came within twenty yards of them she would know. Soon enough the clone came back, a squirrel locked in her jaws. The clone dropped it lightly at her paws and nodded, one paw up. She let it go and it disappeared with a little trace of smoke.

Hana ate slowly, not wanting to wake the boy with her chewing. The animal she caught was nice and meaty, a great catch for a small meal. She savored the meat, careful not to get any blood on her white fur or the child.

Finally Inari woke up. Thankfully, she had already cleaned up her leftovers. Not a trace of it could be found. He stretched his arms out, startled when they lightly hit her fur. He twisted around, staring at her. Then he remembered what happened before and smiled.

"Thank you" he spoke quietly. "I needed someone to comfort me." His small face contorted into a scowl when he remembered that he had always relied on others to protect him.

She tilted her head. In just a few seconds, his emotions went from dead calm to deadly rage and frustration. She rubbed her muzzle against his face, absently wondering if he should let him in or not.

She made her decision when he started crying again. A new tail sprouted, and she laid her fourth tail on his lap. He wiped his eyes and looked down at it in slight confusion. Then he placed a hand on it.

--

Sasuke was leaning against his tree, absently petting Hana's clone. He didn't know it was a clone, but it still calmed him down some. He watched with a smile as Naruto came closer to making it to the top. It didn't take much to encourage him. He just needed some taunting from his rival.

Naruto grimaced as he ran up the tree again, making it a bit higher. He was almost there. He knew it, too. Then he flipped backwards off the tree and landed hard on the ground. He jumped up, running at the tree yet again. _Come on, dobe. How are you ever going to be Hokage if I beat you at everything? _He was halfway up now. _Oh, I know! I'll become the next Hokage, and you can work for me! _ Three-fourths of the way up. _It's my new dream! Hokage before Naruto! _Said blond finally made it up the tree. He held onto the thin branch, glowing with pride.

He didn't make it before Sasuke, but he still made it. It was a very happy moment for Naruto. Because now he could do more. With this chakra control he could utilize more of it, making his attacks more dangerous than before. He smiled and looked around, mesmerized by the beautiful sunset.

His stomach had to ruin the moment. "Shut up. I know you're hungry." He leaped down, using his newfound control to use other trees. His decent was much better than the assent. He looked at Sasuke and was about to brag when he saw the other boy gazing off into space, petting Hana. But that wasn't what stopped Naruto from speaking his words.

Sasuke was smiling. It wasn't a huge smile like Naruto had on most of the time, but it was still a smile. It was a calm, peaceful, happy smile. Naruto realized that Sasuke had helped him. And he fell for it, learning what to do because he didn't want Sasuke to become Hokage before him. Or at all, for that matter.

He spoke without thinking, then. "Thank you, Sasuke."

He blinked. He never thought he would here those words from Naruto. Ever. Especcially his actual name. He was always referred to as teme. He almost threw that back at him, until he saw that the blond meant it. He nodded and accepted it. "You're welcome….Naruto."

Okay. Few things. Remember when I had Hana make a shadow clone in the previous chapter? That's why the clone had to sleep afterwords. She has a TON of chakra, but when she splits it up it does become a smaller amount. And it takes a large amount of chakra to talk to them in their minds. That's why. xD

Let's see. Um, and about the ending of this chapter. I needed to have them a bit closer. Just a glimpse of their friendship. Because even though their paths are different, they are still friends. At least in the still sane part of the manga they are.

I like writing for Kakashi. Because everyone interprets him differently. And everyone might be correct. Because I love Kakashi, he's my favorite character (Temari close second). He might very well be wicked amazing and nice at the same time. But on the other hand, he might not care for Naruto and Sakura. He might just want to honor Obito, and be caught up with Sasuke. Afterall, he did show Sasuke favoritism in the chunin exams arc. He used the excuse of not wanting him to leave for more power, but really, who knows.

And into Sasuke's mind! He does go a bit OOC in this chapter. Sorry. But it is my fanficion story, and I say in this story, that is what he thinks right now! Obviously you know what's going to happen soon! Can't wait for this part to be over, though…;; I want to get back to Konaha quickly. So expect the next chapter to wrap up the wave country! It'll probably be the longest chapter so far haha.

Till next time,

~Benji


	7. The Big Fight

The day came when everyone was finally watching over Tazuna again. Morning changed into afternoon and nothing happened all day. They got some work done on the bridge, but a whole bunch of Tazuna's friends had quit, and the task force numbers dwindled down.

Naruto came up with the idea of helping out while they were there, to speed things up. He made a thousand clones and they got to work, bustling around and cheering everyone there up. Hana made sure to help too, but she kept a close watch on the real blond.

--

The next morning, Naruto woke up late.

"Shit! They left without me!"

He ran down the hall, using the bathroom and getting his clothes on. Not even Hana was there like they had planned. He grew frustrated as he ran down the wooden planks, running to find them on the bridge. They left him here, and he was alone. Again.

--

On the bridge, Sasuke and Sakura tensed as a heavy fog surrounded them. They in turn surrounded Tazuna, while Kakashi circled them, watching closely for Zabuza.

"Hello again, Kakashi. Glad to see you still use the same tricks"

Kakashi spun to see Zabuza and a boy standing a few yards back. He took out a kunai and threw it. A second before it hit Zabuza, who hadn't moved, a hand had caught it. Kakashi's eyes went wide and the boy tossed the weapon back to Kakashi lightly.

_I didn't even see him move!_

"I beat you once, I can beat you again" he boasted. He wanted to buy some time. They needed help, and now. Hana was off somewhere and Naruto was probably still sleeping. _Kami help us!"_

--

Inari ran out of his house in time to see his mother getting dragged away, unconscious, by two men with swords. He ran as fast as he could, determined to save her. The people turned around and laughed, knocking him aside with a backhand.

"Save yourself, little boy. Or we'll kill you, too."

Inari felt tear coming to his eyes and he raced for her again, hoping he could dodge this time. He had to save her!

Suddenly, just as the bad guys were unsheathing their swords, an orange blur kicked them in the heads. They dropped down to the ground unceremoniously.

"Come on, you get some rope!"

"Naruto!"

--

Back with Sasuke and Sakura, they were getting nervous. Kakashi seemed nervous too, and that made them uncomfortable.

"You see, Haku is my prized possession. He has incredible speed and an even better blood line limit."

The water around Sasuke rose up and formed into ice. Sasuke was trapped in what looked like mirrors.

"Like it?"

Kakashi ran to try to save Sasuke, since he knew that the Uchiha would die unless he helped. But he was stopped by Zabuza.

"If you help him, I'll kill those two."

Kakashi was forced to a halt.

--

Naruto finally left Inari, running as fast as he could for the bridge.

--

Sasuke looked around him as Haku stepped into an ice mirror. His eyes widened when Haku appeared in all of them. He braced himself as a load of senbons buried themselves into his arms. He protected his face, but his arms throbbed with pain as they pierced his skin. "AHHHHHHHHH"

--

Sakura heard the cry and wished she could do something. She almost left Tazuna, but when Zabuza made his move Kakashi was just able to save them all. She stayed right in front of him the entire time.

--

"Uzumaki Naruto, here and ready!"

Naruto burst in, using a whole bunch of smoke bombs to alert the others of his presence. He felt the anger level rise and his anger was boosted as well. He had just come to save them! How dare they be angry at their savior!

--

Hana finished her task and ran as fast as _she _could, praying she wasn't too late.

--

Naruto rushed into the fray, joining Sasuke inside the icy prison. He couldn't hear what Sasuke was yelling at him, so he decided to go right to the source.

"What's goin' on?" He asked. "What'd I miss?"

Sasuke slapped his forehead with his palm. "DOBE!"

--

Hana sniffed the air and confirmed the worst; she smelt death.

--

Naruto glared at Sasuke. Sasuke glared back, and seconds later cried out in pain again as thousands of needles hit them. They didn't have any time to dodge, and Sasuke fell over. He had jumped in front of Naruto at the last second, getting the most of the pain. His eyes glazed over and Naruto's eyes widened.

Naruto choked out some words. "Why?"

"D-dobe. My body acted on its own."

Naruto felt tears coming to his eyes and Sasuke started to fall over.

"I hated you" Sasuke breathed, and closed his eyes and fell into Naruto's arms.

Naruto caught him, as he had fallen to his knees and was right in Sasuke's path of descent.

--

Kakashi felt a spike of chakra, and then a large dome of red swirled around the dome of ice mirrors. His dread grew tenfold.

--

Zabuza's eyes went wide as well. He had never felt that much chakra. Or rage, for that matter. And that was saying something.

--

Haku felt the pressure of so much chakra start to crack some of the mirrors. _Th-that's not possible! They can't crack!_

He jumped out of one mirror to a more stable one and saw that the whiskered boy had changed. His whiskers had gotten darker, and he had fangs. And he couldn't miss the cloak of red chakra that covered the boy. It eventually took a shape, and he stared at it in horror.

It was a fox.

--

Naruto felt himself slipping away. Slipping away into the dark. He closed his eyes and then opened them to find him actually falling. He felt no presence of time, and he finally stopped short. He found himself in front of someone on the ground. They were coughing up blood, and the boy was talking.

He was still angry, and he kicked the boy lying there. They groaned and asked him if he had any mercy. They told him he should have just killed him, since he was no longer useful to Zabuza.

Naruto snorted and looked around. He spotted Sasuke in a puddle of water, still unmoving. His eyes narrowed and he waited for the boy to stand up. He took a kunai and started running at him.

"FINE! YOU WANT DEATH SO BADLY! HERE, TAKE IT!"

Naruto ran as fast as he could. Haku made no move to escape.

Seconds before Naruto could do anything, though, the boy's eyes widened and he bowed his head and made a one handed sign. "Forgive me, Naruto. I still have one thing left to do."

Suddenly Haku was gone and Naruto stood there, baffled.

--

Haku appeared right before Zabuza, just before Kakashi could slam a chidori into his heart. Haku died for Zabuza, and the nin-dogs hanging onto the man poofed away. Kakashi ripped his arm out of the poor boy's chest and he fell, a smile on his serene face.

Zabuza turned towards Gato and his men, as the fog had finally cleared and they could see hundreds of armed swordsmen behind the rich man.

--

Naruto picked Sasuke up and carried him over to place him next to Haku. He shed a tear but refused to let them flow in public.

--

Hana finally showed up, landing next to Zabuza, who was currently running after Gato. He had a kunai in his mouth, as his arms were ruined. Hana closed her eyes and lent some of her power to the dying man, giving him the strength to go on, not getting hurt by the swords and spears that were being poked at him sharply.

Finally Gato came to the end of the bridge, and he smiled and turned around to see the damage his men had done.

But his face was a state of shock when he saw the Demon of the Mist running at him, murder in his eyes. He screamed and threw up his arms to protect himself, but it was too late. He was dead.

Had Zabuza not been dying, he would have noticed the white wolf running by his side. He felt oddly at peace, and he struggled to make his way back to Haku's body. He fell over and shortly Kakashi picked him up and laid him next to Haku.

He smiled and turned his head to see the younger male. His right arm slowly rose to clasp with Haku's hand. He closed his eyes just after he saw snow falling. "If there really is a heaven, Haku, I wish I could join you there. But I'll be going somewhere else. It's my last wish…to be with you in heaven."

And with that, he died.

--

Hana finally left Zabuza's side and went over to Sasuke. Naruto and Sakura were watching over his body, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She shoved them out of the way and used her teeth to pull out all of the senbons stuck in his flesh. She finished quickly and started licking his cheek, sending healing chakra into his body each time her wet tongue connected with his body.

Suddenly he took a breath and the two Genin leaned back, startled. Sasuke's eyes opened and he looked around. He vaguely noticed a wet tongue at his cheek, and he felt a pressure on his chest.

"Sakura….can't….breathe"

Sakura had thrown herself onto his chest, sobbing with joy. Her Sasuke was back!

Their reunion was cut short when the hundreds of swordsmen challenged them to a fight to the death.

Naruto stood up and made a thousand clones. Hana herself made two thousand, pouring energy into them so they could grow larger and more menacing. Kakashi, almost out of chakra, smiled and made a few hundred clones, just illusions rather than solid. All of them were in different battle stances, and the hundred people facing the ninja flipped out and leapt off the bridge or ran away.

With all the drama over, the ninja let their clones go, and, turning, saw the whole village behind them. A cheer rose up, and they celebrated.

Sasuke, still feeling poor, slept through it all. Hana watched over both him and Naruto, who slept through it as well.

---

The next morning, closer to afternoon, the Konaha ninjas finally left Water Country.

"Thank you for all your help!"

"Thanks!"

"You're the best!

"WHOOOO!"

Naruto waved and grinned as they walked away. The last thing they heard was, "I'm officially naming this bridge, the Naruto Bridge!"

…Um. Sorry it's so short. Even though I promised longer, it was hard to write battle scenes ; *dies*


	8. Back to the village

Back to the village!

When they got back to the village, all four ninja, plus Hana, were on their last nerves. They hadn't run into anyone else, but they didn't want to be ambushed again. Hana looked even more troubled than any of them, and she kept whining and trying to get picked up. No one paid her any attention, because they were trying to be on guard for an attack, if any came.

None came.

When they finally got back under the village's watch, Kakashi told them to take the next three days off before going to submit his report to the Hokage.

--

Naruto made a comment about going to get some ramen, and Sakura rejected the offer. She just wanted to get home and sleep. Sasuke shrugged and shook his head. He needed the break, too. Naruto, disappointed, turned to Hana to see if she'd go with him.

He dropped his head when he spotted her running after Sasuke, maintaining her size now that they were back among other people. Even she had left him. For the teme.

--

Hana let out a little bark when she got close enough to Sasuke. She knew she had to let the boy in on what was happening if she wanted him to do what she needed him to. He turned around and scowled until he noticed who it was. He kneeled down and she stopped in front of him, briefly accepting an ear massage. She then shook her head and brushed a tail against his hand just to get the basic message to him.

Sasuke nodded shortly and stood up, making a small cradle with his arms. She happily jumped in and settled down in his arms as he jumped along the roofs, looking for a good place to talk. Hana distantly felt his arms tighten around her as he sped up, finally finding the perfect place to talk.

--

The Hokage monument. No one other than Naruto came up here, so it was a prefect spot to talk without interruption. He sat down away from the edge and placed her in his lap. Noticing her asleep, he allowed a small smile to show before he gently shook her awake.

Her tails swirled around her as she awoke, waving about like little flags. She yawned and he found himself yawning as well. He couldn't keep his eyes open, and he fell asleep.

--

_Sasuke-kun. It's good to see you in here again. I can show you my memories much easier when you are asleep. I promise you, though, that it's all real. Not a dream. And I'm sorry I have to show you this. But it's for your own good._

Suddenly a screen type thing showed up, and a scene started playing on it. He felt it get closer and closer, until he was amidst the action. He watched himself and Naruto training through the eyes of Hana. Suddenly her senses went crazy, and he found himself feeling the same things as she must have before_._

As it played out, he grew uncomfortable. He knew something bad was going to happen, but he didn't know what. And then it happened. The bird looked directly at Hana and he closed his own eyes, not knowing that she had done the same. He wished he didn't see what had happened. Those eyes.

Finally it was over, and he reopened his eyes to see the blank white state again. He summoned the will to do something, and he realized he could see himself this time.

_It's easier when you think the changes. It is your mind, you know. You can do whatever you want here._

Hana appeared and he smiled. She closed her eyes and showed her teeth in a supposedly non-menacing way. He laughed and threw his hands into the air, not moving and falling over backwards. Right onto a bed. She grinned and was curled up beside him in an instant. Her ears were up and alert, listening for something.

She yawned again, and he fought to keep from doing the same. It was no use.

_  
I'm sorry, Sasuke. But it looks like we have company. I'll take care of it, and I'm sending you home while I do so. I'll give you instructions later._

_--_

Once she knew that he was teleported home, she chased the bird down. She wasted no time in killing this one, and she took it to the Hokage's tower to give it to him. He needed proof, and she had it right here. The eyes were still open, and the red didn't look like it was going anywhere soon. Sasuke needed protection. From his own brother, Itachi.


End file.
